CEDAR CITY — Two men who each pleaded guilty to criminal charges associated with multiple storage shed burglaries earlier this year, have each been sentenced to six months in jail plus three years of probation.
Co-defendants Robbie Thompson Lawson, 27, and Kurtis William Paul, 32, were sentenced on Monday by 5th District Judge Matthew L. Bell, who also ordered that the two men collectively pay more than $17,000 in restitution.
According to their sentencing agreements, once they have finished their respective 180-day jail sentences, Lawson and Paul are to each pay $100 per month in restitution for 84 months, or seven full years, with the money going to three individuals plus one storage shed business. The individual amounts to be repaid range from $2,850 to $7,000, plus interest.
The judge also left open the final restitution amount for the statutory period, to allow for additional claims, if any, to be filed.
As previously reported, Lawson and Paul were arrested in late May following a police investigation into multiple storage shed burglaries in the Cedar City area. The stolen items reportedly included off-road vehicles, drones, televisions and video game systems.
On July 17, both men pleaded guilty to various charges, including multiple counts of theft of a vehicle or firearm, a second-degree felony; multiple counts of burglary, a third-degree felony; and one count of property damage, a third-degree felony. Additionally, Lawson pleaded guilty to one count of possession of burglary tools, a class B misdemeanor, while Paul pleaded guilty to one count of drug possession, a class A misdemeanor.
At Monday’s sentencing hearings, Bell suspended the prison terms associated with the various felony counts and instead ordered each defendant to serve 180 days in Iron County Jail, with credit given for the 93 days they had already served.
Once they are released from jail, both men will be placed on probation for 36 months, to be supervised by Adult Probation and Parole. The court noted that both Lawson and Paul will be held to strict “zero tolerance” expectations, meaning if they violate any of the terms of the probation agreement or fail to make the necessary payments, they’ll potentially face years in prison instead.
As part of the terms of probation, each man was ordered to obtain a high school diploma or GED, and to complete 50 hours of community service in lieu of fines.
The court also waived almost all of the defendants’ fines and fees, with the only ones imposed being the mandatory $53 court security fees for each of the cases.
Both defendants were notified of their right to file a written notice of appeal within 30 days, if they so choose.
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